Resume for Stringer Jobs

[Greg Pickel]

Hey everyone,

I'm new here. I am a Junior in high school, so while 99 percent of the jobs here are way out of my league, our The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, PA offers some stringer jobs every once in a while.

I currently write for a local town newspaper which publishes weekly and probably has a 1000 readers a week, give and take. When applying to be a string for a job at this bigger paper, what should I submit? My entire resume? Just clips? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I hope this question does not seem to basic. You can e-mail me if you'd like to pass some tips on that way. Thanks in advance!

 

[Prospero]

Greg, what you're thinking about doing is pretty much how I got my start in '86. The profession has changed quite a lot since then, obviously, but one thing has not: Most news organizations, especially small to mid-sized newspapers, need bodies to cover high school sports. Many are willing to use high school students, as long as the high school student has a professional demeanor.

Others might give you different advice, but here's what I would do in your situation:

Learn who at the paper is responsible for hiring sports correspondents. It might be the sports editor or a high school sports editor or maybe a lead high school sports columnist or writer. You might already know the answer, but if you don't, you can call the paper's switchboard to find out, and you might even be able to get a direct phone number for that person and the best time to call. When you make that initial call to find out the name, ask whether you should e-mail your resume package or snail-mail it. Find out the best e-mail address and/or mailing address, which might not be the same as those listed on the paper's Web site. Don't call the hiring agent yet, though. Once you've got a name and number, put together a sampling of your best clips. Four or five should be enough, although the quantity doesn't matter as much as the quality. Choose stories that prove you can write on tight deadline, as well as longer feature pieces. Then, copyedit your resume. Make sure it would get an A-plus in resume class. Now you're ready to make the call. If you get voice mail, tell the editor briefly that you called to find out whether the newspaper needs stringer help covering high schools, that you have experience working for a weekly publication and you are available if needed. Leave your contact information and wait two days. If you haven't heard back, call again. Persistence is important, but try not to make yourself a pest. If you do have to leave another message, though, make sure you sound pleasant and professional. Now, if you get through on the first try, tell the editor you're willing to do whatever the paper needs, including taking calls in the office at night. Ask if it's OK to send a resume package. Don't be shy about asking the pay scale, either, although don't make that the first (or even the fourth or fifth) question. You need money, sure, but the experience and the contacts are the important things at this stage of your career. If the editor says it's cool to send the resume, write a brief cover letter thanking the editor for taking the time to talk to you. Even if the editor says to keep your resume to yourself for another year or two, write a letter thanking the editor for taking the time to talk to you. And copyedit that letter until you can recite it in your sleep. Nothing kills a job opportunity quicker than a typo in the resume or cover letter.

Good luck, Greg, and I hope this helps.

 

[Boom_70]

Hey everyone,

I'm new here. I am a Junior in high school, so while 99 percent of the jobs here are way out of my league, our The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, PA offers some stringer jobs every once in a while.

I currently write for a local town newspaper which publishes weekly and probably has a 1000 readers a week, give and take. When applying to be a string for a job at this bigger paper, what should I submit? My entire resume? Just clips? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I hope this question does not seem to basic. You can e-mail me if you'd like to pass some tips on that way. Thanks in advance!

I know some guys at The Patriot News sports desk. Just mention Boom and it will open many doors for you.

 

[spaceman]

but when you mention Boom, do NOT add "goes the dynamite."

 

[2underpar]

If you are eager and willing to learn, I'm betting they'll find a spot for you. We look for correspondents all the time and get very few responses.
Good luck.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

As crusty as a lot of old sportswriters and SEs are, they usually have a fondness for ambitious kids who want to break into the business.

They understand what that's like.

As long as you're willing to work hard and take direction, I'll bet they'll do their best to help you.

 

[Greg Pickel]

Thanks for the tips, guys!

I'm going to put this thing in motion once the new year begins, and we'll see what happens.

Boom- The sports editor has changed within the last year. Do you know the new guy?

 

[Ace]

Main things I want to know before using a stringer (which would primarily be for covering live high school and other events on deadline):

1. Have you ever covered this sport and had to file the story within 2 hours.

2. Do you have the equipment (laptop, wifi connection, etc.) to be able to send the story quickly?

3. Are you free to cover games nights and weekends?

 

[txsportsscribe]

2 hours?

 

[Ace]

2 hours?

Ssh. I don't want to scare them off.

 

[Boom_70]

Main things I want to know before using a stringer (which would primarily be for covering live high school and other events on deadline):

1. Have you ever covered this sport and had to file the story within 2 hours.

2. Do you have the equipment (laptop, wifi connection, etc.) to be able to send the story quickly?

3. Are you free to cover games nights and weekends?

4. Do you like cats?

 

[2underpar]

the weekends thing is very big. A lot of people who contact me about stringing aren't willing to work fridays and saturdays, days when i need them the most.

 

[WriteThinking]

Prospero's response is good, although I'd do one thing differently.

I wouldn't necessarily be too brief or formulaic with a cover letter.

It is your introduction to whomever reads it, after all, and also, it is your first chance to "interview," so to speak, and the one interview opportunity over which you have the most control.

So, make sure to personalize it -- both toward whomever it is written, and regarding yourself. Tell them about yourself, let them get to know you a little bit, and hopefully, get a feel for you, through whatever you write. Make them like you, and be interested in meeting you. If it is a good letter, one that piques their interest, they probably won't mind reading it, even if it's longer than the oft-cited one page in length.

Tell them where you live, where you're going to school, get detailed about what you've done, and mention specific stories you're proud of, especially those that the people at your target paper may have seen, or that you think perhaps, your target paper has not done.

Tell what sports you've covered most, and/or what work you'd like to do, but maybe haven't yet. These may be avenues of opportunity that the target paper may be willing and able to give you. Tell them what days/hours you are available, or would be willing to make yourself so. And if you are handy with a video camera, comfortable on Twitter and into Web site design and production or are learning/knowledgeable about multi-media production, or if you are, in any way, a techno-wiz, then, by all means, mention that...up high. This could be a very useful avenue to work.

Read up on the target paper's recent offerings, and mention some significant ones that you noticed, either for the issue involved, or for any writing that particularly impressed you, and mention that.

Tell the editor something you like about what they do, and why, and maybe, something that you noticed but that you think you might have handled differently. It shows thought, and engagement in their paper, and is evidence that you're interested enough to actually be following it, and not just fishing around for a job, any job, like, oh, thousands of other job hunters out there who also send resumes, and do follow-up calls, and write thank you notes...

Copy-edit the letter well, and have someone else proofread it. Do your level best to catch any spelling errors, grammar mistakes or poorly-written sentences.

Oh, and be sure to include your name, phone number/email address somewhere on it, not just on the resume. Make it easy for them to reach you, even if your cover letter happens to get separated from your resume or clips among the pile that constitutes many newspaper sports editors' desk-top "files."

 

[Ace]

And keep checking back. It may not be a busy time for freelancers (you get lots of people asking to freelancer in the summer when there is little need).

Bottom line, if you have a stable of freelancers, you may not want to take work away from them to give to someone new. But if the editor is in a bind and needs the help, that's different.

So I would check back and remind them that you are willing and interested. You may catch them on a week when they are short-handed.

You might also volunteer to go out on a couple assignments with writers to learn how it is done (and the editor will ask the writers if you seemed sharp, etc.).

Might also offer to file a story from a game that isn't intended for print to help make the editor feel more comfortable with giving you a chance.

 

[Greg Pickel]

Great feedback, guys! Thanks!